This is the final part of my review of my games in the last Lichess4545 season.
If you haven't seen them, check out part one and part two.
My play in the last two rounds wasn't very convicing but
I hope that I can learn from my mistakes.
Round 7
In round 7, I was black again (for the fourth time in a row!) and got a worse position right out of the opening.
Black to play
White is completely dominating and stands much better. Black should have played the move c6 earlier to prevent the white rook from occupying that square.
19...f6 20.Ng6?
This allows black to win the exchange and get back into the game. White should have moved the knight to d3 and would have had a clear advantage.
20...Qe8 21.Nf4 Nc5! 22.dxc5?! (White should have taken with a rook) 22...Qxc6 23.e4
Black to play
Black has won the exchange and is better. But their king is weak and white gets strong counterplay with their pawns. From a practical point of view, adjusting to the new situation is very important for black and something I didn't manage during the game.
23...Kh8? (23...Qe8 was better) 24.exd5? (24.Ng6+ Kh7 25.Ne7 would have won back the exchange and white would have been better) 24...Qd7 25.c6 Qd6?! 26.Ng6+?
This move is bad because it allows black the chance to take the d-pawn and therefore to gain the advantage.
26...Kh7 27.Qc2 f5 28.Nh4 g6?! (28...Qxd5! 29.Nxf5 Qd3 and black has a large advantage) 29.Rd1 Qf6 30.g3 Rd6 31.Ng2 Rd8 33.Ne3
Black to play
33...Red8?!
Objectively, this wasn't a mistake, but it's a clear sign that I didn't know what to do and that I wasn't looking at active options. Much better would have been 32...f4 33.Ng2 fxg3 34.hxg3 Re5
33.f4 Qe7 34.Rd3 Qe4 35.Qb3 a5 36.Qc3 Re8 37.Kf2
Black to play
37...h5?
37...g5! This would have been the right way to make progress. Black manages to get their pieces into white's position. 38.Ng2 (38.fxg5 f4! 39.Ng2 Qe2+ 40.Kg1 fxg3 41.hxg3 hxg5) 38...Qe2+ 39.Kg1 b5 40.Rd2 Qe4 41.Qxa5 Rxd5
38.Rd4 Qe7? (38...Qh1! black had to get active) 39.Qd2 Qf7? (Black should have kept the knight out of c4 with 39...b5!) 40.Nc4 Rdd8 41.d6 cxd6 42.Nxd6
Black to play
42...Rxd6??
Black had the saving move 42...Qg7! The queen defends along the seventh rank and the rook on e8 cannot be taken since white's rook would be hanging. One important line is 43.c7 Qxc7 44.Nxe8 Qc5! and black wins back the material.
43.Rxd6 Qc7 44.Rd7+ Kh6 45.c7 Qc5+ 46.Kg2 Rc8 47.Qd4??
White returns the favour and allows black to exchange into an equal rook ending. There were many wins, the most forcing is 47.Rh7+! Kxh7 48.Qd7+ Kh6 49.Qxc8 and white will promote their c-pawn.
47...Qxd4 48.Rxd4 Rxc2 49.Rd2 1/2-1/2
Round 8
This round showed that I still need to learn a lot in e4 openings with white. My opponent played the open Spanish and I knew some theory but I was lost soon afterwards. My position was passive and I didn't handle it well.
White to play
White is passive but the position should be fine objectively. However, I misplayed it completely during the game.
16.a4?!
I thought that I had time to activate my a1-rook along the third rank but I underestimated black's threats on the other side of the board.
16...b4 17.cxb4?
White should have played 17.h3 to keep the black bishop out of g4.
17...Nxb4?! (17...Bg4!) 18.Bb1?
This move is hard to explain. White is facing presure on the kingside and shouldn't waste time by saving this bishop from the exchange. White could have played 18.Ra3 to bring the rook into the defence.
18...g5! 19.Qe1 g4 20.Qg3 Kh8 21.Qh4 Bf5?!
21...Qxh4! 22.Nxh4 Bc8! and white has to give up material in order to avoid mate.
22.Bxf5?
22.Qxf6+ Rxf6 23.b3! gxf3 24.Bb2 this position would have been much closer to equality than the game continuation.
22...Qxf5 23.Ng5?? Qxg5
I missed this move and resigned soon after.
Conclusion
Overall I am quite happy with my play in the last season. The last two rounds were really bad but I scored 5/7 and I also tried many new openings. I really enjoy testing new lines in longer games since I get the chance to really dig into the positions. I am currently playing in seasen 34 of the league and will make a review at the end of it as well.